Was once a podcast with Elwood D. Pennypacker (@oldtimeelwood on the Twitter) that went by the old expression "Punk Isn't Dead, It Just Goes to Bed at a More Reasonable Hour".
Friday, January 11, 2008
1900s, Stevie Jackson, Laura Gibson @ Union Hall
1900's; Stevie Jackson; Laura Gibson @ Union Hall Brooklyn, NY - January 10, 2008
What is it with Union Hall and Chicago bands and gals named Laura?
Chi-town wunderkinds the 1900's shimmy and shake with their effervescent Indie pop-rock, still culling the best bits of the 70's and even making this old curmudgeon finally warm up...ONLY A LITTLE BIT...to Fleetwood Mac. And when they aren't doing that, they're jamming psychedelic rock n' roll and ending the show with a big flourish, the knockout "Two Ways". A fantastic way to kick off the year. And they're all lookers - every one of 'em.
Stevie Jackson of Belle & Sebastien played light-hearted acoustic folk and entertained the crowd with his amicable personality, nice suit, and Scottish accent. Glasgow: clearly the Chicago of Scotland. Or is Chicago the Glasgow of America? Stevie rocked out on a Gibson SG during the 1900's finale and did a little all out power pop of his own when the band joined him for his finale beforehand (Soundbites NYC has a video). He also had Laura Cantrell to sing a couple ballads, including Hank 1's "Lost Highway".
Acoustic singer-songwriters are a dime-a-dozen and it's hard to stand out. But Laura Gibson not only stands out, she radiates. Her substantive, full, textured ballads are matched by her delicate, warm persona. She has a true magnetic presence on the stage, not in spite of, but because of, her charming softness. It was like listening to a cloud.
If Laura Gibson's and Laura Cantrell's appearances at Union Hall tonight weren't enough for you, Cantrell will be back in a short order as will Laura Veirs.
With a new blog name, new pen name, new everything this year, it makes sense to tackle the year in review a little differently from the last few years. Scrapping the traditional awards-style listing, and ignoring the countdown listings that everyone else does, here is just an all-things-equal review of a LOT of the music heard in 2007, broken over several parts this week. And only 1 mention of Amy Winehouse, promise!
Action Painters
Live Show
Record: Chubby Dancer
Songs: “Absolutely Clear”, “Sooner or Later”
Well it never worked out that a second Action Painters live review took place in 2007, but the random drunken entry on an August Thursday, just a few songs worth made a big impact. The Chubby Dancer EP justified what was heard, especially the lead off tracks, “Absolutely Clear” and “Sooner or Later”. The former could have been a hit single in the last 25 years and the latter is a modern rock power pop bit of heaven. If the band likes this kind of attention, they should personally thank ol’ Pennypacker’s crazy Latina ladyfriend, whose bootyshaking and drink pouring antics drove the old man out of the yuppie bar and in a cab to the Merc.
Ryan Adams & The Cardinals
Live Show
Record: Easy Tiger
Song: “Halloweenhead”
Quite a year for Ry. He limited himself to just one record and solidified his bond with the Cardinals. Neal Casal, Jon Graboff, Chris Feinstein, and Brad Pemberton, helped steer Ryan through his new, aware sense of the world around of him. “Halloweenhead” showed off the project’s ability to bust out a single so smoothly made that the rough edged vulgarity almost slips by entirely. The small show at the Hiro Ballroom was one of the highlights of the year, with a funny Ryan sounding excellent and the acoustics of the small room matching the band’s fluidity. The Halloween night mega-show was too long for its own good but the band still sounded in fine form. Here’s hoping Ryan has an even better 2008 and if not, there’s always DJ Reggie to fall back on. "Halloweenhead" live at the Hiro:
Apples in Stereo
Live Show
Record: New Magnetic Wonder
Song: “Energy”
Sweet, syrupy, but nevertheless 3-chord bad ass fun, Robert Schneider’s Apples in Stereo is the most accessible spin-off of Elephant Six. Their LP was a treasure chest of single-friendly anthems, led by the begging-to-be-commercialized (in a good way) “Energy” and their live show at the Music Hall of Williamsburg was every bit as fun as it should have been. Hey! This summation was completed without using the word “Psychedelic”. Yes!
Yeah, It’s A Bit Complicated was all right and “Direct Hit” and “People In Love” were the best tracks on it. “Direct Hit” in particular was a solid single. But let’s not kid ourselves. Art Brut is all about the live experience. Whether it was the headlining spot at the Highline Ballroom or opening for the Hold Steady at Terminal 5, it was proved that Art Brut’s songs are nothing without Eddie Argos’ spoken word engineering. Direct Hit SPTV:
“Atlas” by Battles Seven-minute singles are really unheard of, now and pretty much ever, but New York math rockers Battles did just that. A song straight from Munchkinland in Hell, “Atlas” is a stomp-filled, metal-inspired opus that actually says something good about prog rock.
Band of Horses
Live Show
Record: Cease To Begin
Song: “Is There A Ghost”
They look like they should be a jam band but instead Band of Horses crafts an ethereal mix of Indie pop. Making South Carolina a respectable place to be, Ben Bridwell and company look past their “Weed Party” shenanigans for the magnificence of a single like “Is There A Ghost”. Admittedly it’s so simple as to be annoying, but Indie pop should always be this simple. Punk sensibilities never heart good pop music. Their Terminal 5 show was more than decent and kudos to Ben for actually mapping out the plan for everyone there: (Paraphrasing) “Ok so 2 more to go, and then we’ll come back out for four more, so six songs total and then you guys can go, OK?) Video
“Because I’m Awesome” by the Dollyrots This is a really dumb song on a really terrible album by a pretty bad band. That being said, the song can be played on repeat for hours. It’s so good and so bad at the same time, it makes you want to listen to Little Steven’s Underground Garage all over again…and then turn it off forever. Video
“Been There All The Time” by Dinosaur Jr One of the absolute singles of the year. Dinosaur Jr. has been through a lot over these many years and this ode to early 90’s-style fun-rock is a reminder that there’s been a lot of crap out there on the radio, and the old guard still do it better than anyone else. What a song. Video
Scott H. Biram
Live Show
Record: Graveyard Shift
Graveyard Shift is more than fine but it was the live show at the Luna Lounge, which has matasticized into a sprawling, experimental thing, that keeps Biram relevant and, more importantly, damn good. Live in Texas:
Black Tie Revue
Live Show
Eh, take Code Fun for what you will. It grows on you but none of this matters as Pittsburgh’s BTR is one of the best live rock n’ roll bands around. A little power punk, a little garage, a little bar band-y, they cover all the bases equally without falling off the cliffs. Solid, solid, solid sets at the Cake Shop and Southpaw this year. SPTV at CMJ
Cake Shop The neatest little idea on Ludlow Street (and the Lower East Side and lower Manhattan for that matter), the Cake Shop really came into its own this year with a host of reviewed gigs (some great, some not) and a ton of other shows that didn’t make the Sonic Parthenon calendar but nevertheless assuredly tore the house down (The Clean, Jay Reatard, King Khan & BBQ Show, etc). Camera Obscura
Live Show
Record: Let’s Get Out of This Country
Let’s Get Out of This Country came out in 2006 but was not heard by Pennypacker ears until this year. In retrospect, it was the Best Album of 2006 and will make a big claim on the Album of the Decade title in a few years. The band made two trips to New York this year, the second of which fell into the Sonic Parthenon purview. A beautiful, intimate set at Sound Fix Records in Williamsburg was one of the most singularly enjoyable moments possible (even with the ultra-packed crowd and a stomach ache). And the little stage banter between Obscura leader Traceyanne Campbell and this writer was as cute as it was sudden. It was so thoroughly a great gig, it inspired the birth of Sonic Parthenon TV. And the next night’s spectacle at the South Street Seaport should be wrapped up in a little box and held tightly forever. One of the best bands in the world, period. SPTV at South Street Seaport:
Chicago (the city) City-based scenes will come and go but take note of this one right now as it begins its ascent up. The Changes, Scotland Yard Gospel Choir, and the 1990’s, are the vanguard in the Windy City’s more pop-infused efforts. The Changes were last year’s best new act and the latter two are duking it out for this year’s title (good thing the old award process was scrapped). And to top it all off, the garage rock sound is still being served well, namely by the continuing presence of the charmingly feisty Miss Alex White and the arrival of the Yolks. Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa bands. 1900's at CMJ, SPTV:
Scotland Yard Gospel Choir at the Empty Bottle
The Changes' "When I Wake", video released this year:
The Yolks
Miss Alex White at CMJ, SPTV
CMJ Music Marathon In accordance with the revamped spirit of this blog, this year’s CMJ was the first to be reviewed on all five nights. Wormburner and Looker owned night 1 but Mixtapes and Cellmates, by a razor thin margain, were the previously unknown act that became the find of the night and the marathon. Black Tie Revue kept things going on night 2 and then the Dirtbombs anchored the In The Red label show at the Mercury Lounge on night 3, with Jay Reatard, Miss Alex White, and Turbo Fruits helping out and then some. Night 4 started off with the sweet sounds of the 1990’s and Sahara Hotnights (and Drug Rug too for that matter) before the Dirtbombs brought it home at Southpaw. And Saturday night was a little return to the old Detroit days with the Hard Lessons in Brooklyn and the Dirtbombs in Hoboken. CMJ Personal Highlight: Chicks. CMJ Lowlight: Missing out on Looker’s house party down the block from the Dirtbombs gig. Drag. SPTV at CMJ
Elvis Costello
Live Show
The May show at the Nokia was a lesson in legend. Dapper in a suit, with sparkly slippers to keep himself comfortable, Costello dished out “High Fidelity”, “Alison”, “Watching The Detectives”/”Let Him Dangle”, and “Welcome to the Working Week” among other chestnuts. Always independent minded, no one tells Elvis what to do and no one wants to.
“D.A.N.C.E.” by Justice THE Hipster dance song of the year and giving Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy” a run for its money. The child-turned-melisma drenched singing voice was disturbing but the beats brought it home. The Terminal 5 shows were missed but that’s probably the best way to treat that venue: as a dance club with DJ’s.
The Dirtbombs
Live Show
No new record, no matter. Five New York area shows by one of the best live bands in the world, and what do you expect? The end of the revolving door really seems to have meant something. This is the only Dirtbombs line-up this blog has ever known and it may as well stay that way. Great people, great band, great times. Next year, a new record (which already sounds great, by the way) and a return to the Bowery Ballroom. 2008 could very well be the Dirtbombs’ year. SPTV at CMJ:
“Don’t Let Him Change Your Mind” by Jarvis Cocker One of the nicer, sweeter singles this year, from the Pulp helmsman. A likeable fellow with a loveable track. Video
Electric Six
Live Show
Song: “Dance Pattern”
This was the year that Electric Six was supposed to go away. Enough was enough. How much longer can someone parlay the Disco-Metal thing? And sure enough, a large chunk of the egregiously named I Shall Exterminate Everything Around Me That Restricts Me From Being The Master was D.O.A., how it was with Switzerland. But something happened: “Dance Pattern” was one of the best songs of the year, and the live show actually not only remained good, and not only improved from 2006’s mid-year funk, but the last outing was their best yet. And credit has to go to Dick Valentine for potentially making a serious impact on the culture with the phrase “put a little mustard on it”. "Dance Pattern" live at Southpaw:
“The Equestrian” by Les Savy Fav One of the more rollickin’ punk songs of the year, from an eclectic band whose live show is hyped to death but has yet to be reviewed here. Hear it with this video
More Public Radio Rock N' Roll: Ween, Electric Six, Scotland Yard Gospel Choir, and the 1900's
NPR's All Things Considered Sunday had Ween (Gener has a voice and temperment made for hosting on public radio, let alone being a guest on it - successor to Ira anyone?)
Electric 6, Scotland Yard Gospel Choir, and the 1900's were heralded on this week's Sound Opinions as part of their "Buried Treasures" of the year episode.
I'm not exactly sure what Bling Kong is supposed to be but the cute girls singing upfront with the backing band is getting old fast and even with, or maybe especially because of, the garage rock feel of this particular set up, it doesn't really work that well. Also, the whole art house concept thing around it seemed a bit much. And there were balloons. I hate balloons. A lot. In fact, if it wasn't for the balloons, I'd have probably liked it. A second night of SYGC (instant band initial status is always a good sign, unless you're CFK or whatever) and they kept it up. This is a band to dance to, or take in lyrically, or both. Some of the peppier, even punkier stuff when meshed with horn, give off that old ska-punk vibe, which by all accounts, should not be a good thing but they make it work very well without overly recalling that sound, scene, or the annoying asshole college roomates who wouldn't shut up about that genre of music some five years after it was popular but then 2 weeks later switched to going on about rave music. On the other hand, Fishbone was really good so if there are a few moments of recalling Fishbone, what's to complain about? In other words, Scotland Yard Gospel Choir is very good. Insta-Clip
Side-note: Union Hall is pretty much the defacto stop for Chicago bands. The Changes, the 1900's, and now SYGC have all played there. I hope these Chicagoans realize there isn't actually a union using the joint? "Welcome, brothers of Local 643. As you know, our president, Chuckie Fitzhugh, ain't been seen lately. We're all prayin' he'll turn up soon, alive and well." (Source)
Return of Double Giggage: Electric Six, Uncle Monk, Scotland Yard Gospel Choir
Electric Six; The Willowz @ Bowery Ballroom New York, NY - November 16, 2007
It could not be resisted. With the previous gig being so early, and the Bowery Ballroom so close, how could a seventh Electric Six show be passed up? Sure, Horton Heat was in town, sure VHS or Beta were doing their own dance-rock thing, sure there were a ton of great gigs in the night but there is only one (or six, rather, or actually when you really think about it, nine or ten) Electric Six. It was well worth going. For possibly the first time in seven reviews, not counting any possible drunken blackouts, Valentine and the gang did "Electric Demons in Love". From the first record, the second track, the one that truly establishes the band as Disco Metal and arguably remains their finest song. Forget "Danger! High Voltage!". This is the track that should have been the hit and should have made this band as big in the U.S.A. as it is in Europe, if not bigger. But speaking of bigness, for the first time in about four or five reviews, the show was not sold out and packed to the gills, and the mosh pit (featuring only some of the regulars) was more subdued for larger portions of the show than previously. Could the U.S.A. Six Success have peaked? Or was everyone home because of the news Valentine broke? That Larry King had died? (Dick did seem actually serious about it but of course as we know now, Larry is alive and well. Cleveland, Hello!) Anyway, this is one of the best, if not the best, Electric Six performance ever reviewed and not just for "Demons". Exuberant, extra saucy highlights also include the new "Dance Pattern", the classic "Dance Epidemic", "I Buy The Drugs", "Future is in the Future", "Improper Dancing", and "Rock n Roll Evacuation", which had Valentine's latest political ramblings, that while New York will have to (probably) pick between its current senator and its former mayor for President, that as poor as that choice is, it's all better than Bush. And finally, after years of ranting by D.V., we got one good, fist-shaking wail of "Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuush!" Loved it.
Dude, I don't know what it is about the Willowz man. They look like they should be doing some country bumpkins from hell thing, some Little House on the Prairie meets Black Sabbath type deal, but they really just do garage. Maybe it's the singer's voice? Maybe it's a lack of substantive follow through on the opening licks? I don't know. They aren't that bad, but there is something definitely missing. But kudos to them, they were fun to laugh and dance with in the balcony during the Six set. But word of caution guys: When people in the audience heckle you, do not taunt them and threaten to fight them. It is unbecoming. Especially when you have a charming gal in the band.
Uncle Monk; Scotland Yard Gospel Choir; Used To Be Women; Alec Scott @ Knitting Factory Old Office New York, NY - November 16, 2007
So yeah this is the first review of a living, breathing Ramone. The last original Ramone no less. Tommy Erdelyi performed his sincere, fun, and frankly, good, bluegrass duo material. There's not much to wax on about it. It was straight forward mandolin and acoustic bluegrass. By Tommy Ramone. You can't beat that. Scotland Yard Gospel Choir are a great Chicago bar band that do it in a folky and stompy fashion. Lots of Indie pop sensibilities but with a nod to the more basic elements of good live rock. It's official by the way, Chicago has arrived. The city is now teeming with great bands and its an eclectic brew. The next few years ought to be a lot of fun. Used to be Women seem to want to be an alt-country, contemporary hard rock mix but they sound more like the latter and it's a little unorganized and not in that good, punk way. It's kind of hollow. Oh, Alec Scott. Alec, Alec, Alec. You are true to your soul, I'll give you that. It was something to hear this young acoustic soft pop-folk performer talk in length to the audience about his songs, especially when he lectured the crowd about the merits of Michael Moore and how he was inspired to write "The White House Is Corrupt" because of the big man. Now, political debates about Moore aside, the point here is that Mr. Scott talked to the crowd as if the crowd had no idea who Michael Moore is. This was the first clue that young Alec has a lot to learn. Later, he feebly tried to get the crowd to sing along. And then finally, he nervously rambled on about the sound guy, his two bandmates on bass and sax respectively, and himself. And that's just it. He was nervous. I hope. Anyway, this Dave Matthews thing he's going for needs more metaphor and poetry if it's going to work. If you're going for a Woody Guthrie, tell-it-like-it-is approach, just do that. Pick and choose, young friend. Pick and choose.
CMJ 2007, Night 3: Dirtbombs, Jay Reatard, Intelligence, Miss Alex White, Cheap Time, Turbo Fruits
The Dirtbombs; Jay Reatard; The Intelligence; Miss Alex White and the Red Orchestra; Cheap Time; Turbo Fruits @ Mercury Lounge New York, NY - October 18, 2007
Yadda yadda Dirtbombs yadda yadda nothing better live than this yadda yadda new material sounds great yadda yadda particularly "Wreck My Flow" yadda yadda special cover of "Love Will Tear Us Apart" yadda yadda "Candy Ass" was reworked into a gloriously sexed up, funkified version that made the band sound as fresh as ever yadda yadda gabba gabba hey yadda yadda Dirtbombs forever.
Hardcore garage punk is not really this blog's thing, but let's not mince words. Jay Reatard is f-ing great. He's the best at what he does. The raw power and energy behind the thrashy, trashy rock n' roll could give you an apoplectic fit if you weren't careful. And again, the best part: Beneath that gruff exterior lies a sucker for 3-chord rock n' roll melody. This Memphis boy could be just at home in an arena as a small club, but that's something a lot of people probably don't want to hear.
The Intelligence certainly sounded different, at least at first, from every other band of the night. But what started as a potentially provocative experimental hybrid of a few types of rock n' roll sort of devolved into basic, pound-away attempts at punk. They were not bad though. Video
Miss Alex White has enough charisma, presence, and authenticity to be Chicago's only prized export, but even though she has to share the burden, she's still got it all. In The Red is lucky to have her.
Cheap Time was really hyped for this blog. So it's not their fault that it then became impossible for them to live up to the hype. But with hard work and good direction, they'll get there. But wasn't Jemma Pearl supposed to be in this band? Video
Turbo Fruits did not sound quite as good as they did at the Bowery this past summer but these kids have such gumption and spirit, they can't be denied. The wellspring of Tennessee rock does have its cup flowing over. Or something like that. Video
GaragePunk.com Highlights: Mystery Action 16 & Hot Slop 30
This week's episode of Mystery Action on the GaragePunk.com podcasts features a lot of noteworthy soul, particularly the second and third tracks: a cover of Dylan's "Maggie Farm" by Solomon Burke and a cover of the Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby" by Aretha Franklin, both on Atlantic. And to top it all off, towards the end, Mr. Gaskins plays a track off the new vinyl EP by the Yolks (previously featured here). Not soul, but good for yours.
If non-stop good time Rhythym & Blues and soul is your thing, then the recent installment of Hot Slop will also be to your liking.
Boy if I had a nickel for every Louisville, Kentucky-based dance-rock band led by an Asian-American... VHS or Beta has had some bad hairdo's. But they cut those messes down en route to their first full fledged Brooklyn show. And it was a show that revealed the best and worst of the club-beat sub-genre of rock n' roll. It was plenty of good-time rockin' dance beats but the laptop which the drummer used went on the fritz and the show had to stop. At the second stoppage, with the crowd getting restless, I hightailed it out of there but not before catching "Can't Believe A Single Word":
More Photos Here Walter Meego was the straight up club act of the night, mixing the Pet Shop Boys with rave/techno and typical club music. When they leaned towards the first element, they were pretty solid but overall - as is par for the course with club music - it got tiring pretty quickly. More importantly, the Meego gang are from Chicago, adding the dance-rock element for what appears to be a growing eclectic Windy City scene.
Team Robespierre are named after one of the most intriguing and compelling figures in world history. The band's music, however, is slightly less compelling. A hardcore punk band with rapid club and electro beats behind them, Team R is probably considered art-punk in some Brooklyn circles but really it's just a bunch of noise. That doesn't mean it's bad, it's just not for everyone. But one word to the moshing hipsters: Take off your backpack when you mosh, you muppets!
Don't look now but here comes the grand old city of Chicago shouldering a new load of hot, happenin' bands. Introducing the Yolks:
Associations with the Black Lips and the Gories (and sounding a little better upon first listens than both of them) = good. Think Joey Ramone fronting the King Khan and BBQ Show.
Credit to Veronica Brown from T-town, Canada for alerting me to this one like the aforementioned King Khan and BBQ, Black Lips, and for good measure, the Deadly Snakes.
